Electric flight KeynoteBurt Rutan Osh 2010

Rutan Background Includes Energy EfficiencyNow building a 34-acre PV

solar energy farm.

My Desert Pyramid House

“Ultimate energy-efficient house” (Pop Sci Nov 1989).

Primary car was zero-emissions EV-1, 1997 to 2004.

Loss of my EV-1 Electric car in 2004.

General Motors crushed them all2

Solar elect

system on

VariEze -

1976

RAF gets solar water heat

1978

Out future for electric powered flight is now highly likely, not just a passing fad.

Practical continuous endurance solar flight is now demonstrated. Zephyr UAV just flew 2 weeks, 336hr. Solar Impulse flew manned 26-hour mission recently. Next gen performance improvements will see a high volume of electric aircraft for many applications.

The Design Challenge:

While impractical for most aircraft, special purpose applications will be the initial justification.

The availability of this new propulsion system is a very attractive challenge for a designer to develop an all-new aircraft optimized around the new propulsion hardware…..A designer’s dream.

• Tiny battery energy storage makes current electric airplanes impractical. However their flexibility and promised simplicity still attracts the hunt for applications.

• Energy storage efficiency improvements will drive the acceptance of future applications (or cheaper extension cords).

Electric powered manned aircraft.Applications are limited now, but will

likely increase in the future

Self-launching sailplane.

Solo operation for launch. Reduces off-field landing risk. Likely multiple motors

with folding or retracting props.

Initial (today’s) applications for an electric lightplane:

Propulsion backup for single-engine aircraft.

Two snap-on leading edge pods. Power for approach and go-around. The ’comfort’ of a twin. Instant power for high

density altitude takeoffs.

Aerobatic show-plane – likely four-motor, reversing props.

High control power for low, or no q flight. Hover at any attitude. Backward

flight. Run 4 for no torque effect, reverse 2 for high torque effects.

Extreme acceleration, angular rates, etc.

Urban transporter.

For short-range commutes around ground congestion.

Launch-recovery: catch/catapult, wall snag, pendulum, steep runway, hover, etc

A practical aircraft for Dynamic Soaring.

Allows efficient launch into DS conditions.

Allows recovery after DS.

Why Electric Aircraft? (1)

• History shows new propulsion technology is the main reason we have large advances in aircraft.

–Turbojet/turbofan example – low utility at first (range, cost, reliability & fuel availability). Special purpose initially, then expanded to be the norm for transportation and warplanes.

Why Electric Aircraft? (2)

• For a “Green Planet”? No.

–A green planet results from a CO2-fertilized atmosphere, not a CO2-starved atmosphere.

–We became close to catastrophe several million years ago, with atmospheric CO2 low enough to threaten all but sea life (<150 ppm kills plant life).

–When CO2 was 5 to 20 times current the planet was nearly all green, pole to pole. Diversification enhanced, deserts were few.

Why Electric Aircraft? (3)

• For “Oil Energy Independence” or “Peak Oil” reasons? No.

– “Peak Lithium” for batteries - demand will soon increase cost, long before oil shortages occur.

– “Peak Neodymium” (rare earth for motor magnets) – China has 95% of the resource and has already started limiting exports. Appears more critical than Oil Independence.

What is “Peak Oil”?First, the scare chart.

Our kids will

all freeze

In the dark.

But, “Peak Oil” is a myth:A chart not intended to scare.

However, predictions for “Peak” Oil, Lithium and Neodymium are all wrong.

• Oil reserves have been calculated for 90 years and each decade the prediction of ‘years

remaining’ has increased.

• The alarmists always leave something out –the creativity of the human mind; the ability to find better ways to find and mine the resource or to find alternatives.

• None of earth’s resources will be critical in the future as long as creative minds are free.

Questions?